Selenium nanoparticles with improved biological effects

ABSTRACT

Novel methods for biological effective, stable amorphous and monoclinic selenium nanoparticles are disclosed. They are prepared by reacting selenium source with a redox agent in an aqueous media at a temperature between 0-100° C. in the presence of nucleic acids or poly/oligosaccharide or their mixtures.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a Divisional Application under 37. C.F.R. §1.53(b)of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/275,647 which claims the Priorityof the U.S. Provisional Application 61/004,793, filed on Dec. 1, 2007.The entire contents of these references are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to biologically effective forms ofselenium, and more particularly to monoclinic and amorphous seleniumnanoparticles having a size of 1-300 nm; also disclosed are the methodsand processes of making such nanoparticles.

Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gainedfrom the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to beprior art.

Selenium is an essential micronutrient for man and animals. The mainform of selenium in mammalian is its presence in selenoproteins asselenocysteine (Sec) encoded by the TGA codon in DNA. Sec with itsstronger nucleophilicity plays an essential role in some enzymeactivities as a key catalytic group. Other biological effects includeits anti-oxidative effects.

Selenite and selenate from food and water are used by mammalian cells asselenium sources, and selenite is reduced to selenide by theglutathione-glutaredoxin and the thioredoxin systems, which is used asselenium source for Sec biosysnthesis. Selenium deficiency is associatedwith fatal dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease called Keshan disease (KD).

However, the toxicity of inorganic selenium compounds, e.g. selenite andselenate, is also well known. It has been a challenge for researchers todevelop food supplement using inorganic selenium compounds.

Reducing selenate and selenite to elemental selenium (Se(0)) by certainfungi and bacteria has been shown to result in detoxification. SeeGharieb, M. M., et al. “Reduction of selenium oxyanions by unicellular,polymorphic and filamentous fungi: cellular location of reduced seleniumand implications for tolerance,” J. of Industrial Microbiology, 14,300-31, 1995; and Oremland, R. S., et al., “Structural spectral featuresof selenium nanospheres produced by Se-respiring bacteria,” Applied andEnvironmental Microbiology, 70, p52-60, 2004 (herein after referred toas Oremland).

The detoxicated elemental selenium Se(0) exists both intracellularly andextracelluallarly, some as monoclinic crystals in nanoparticle form(nano-Se) with size around 300 nm. Besides monoclinic selenium, otherforms of elemental selenium particles also exist in nature. However,grey and black forms of micrometer size (vitreous, insoluble Se(0)particles) are biologically inert, while the red colloidal seleniumnano-particles are biologically effective. See Zhang, J., et al.,“Biological effects of a nano red elemental selenium,” BioFactors, 15,page 27-38, 2001 (herein after referred to as Zhang). The entirety ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

It has been shown that the size of elemental selenium nanoparticlesplays an important role in their biological activity. For example, asexpected, 5-200 nm Nano-Se can directly scavenge free radicals both invitro and in vivo in a size-dependent fashion. See Peng, D, et al.,“(Nano-Se) at supranutritional levels on selenium accumulation andglutathione S-transferase activity,” J. Inorganic Biochem., v. 101, p1457-1463, October 2007, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated byreference. Because of its bioavailability and higher bioeffects, nano-Sehas drawn increasingly greater attention in efforts to develop seleniumnutritional supplements and in medical uses.

Although methods to prepare the colloid of amorphous selenium arereported, the produced selenium colloids are unstable, and they easilyaggregate together to form micro-sized particle and change into trigonalcrystal form which is not biologically effective.

There is great need to produce stable and well-dispersed seleniumnano-particles in monoclinical or colloidal form of biologicallyeffective size for improved biological effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of theinvention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof byreference, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a transmission electron micrograph of a field of seleniumparticles of example 1 that have particle sizes between 22 nanometers to70 nanometers.

FIG. 2 shows an electron diffraction pattern of selenium nanoparticlesof example 2 that have an amorphous form.

FIG. 3 shows a transmission electron micrograph of selenium particles ofexample 3 having sizes between 30 nanometers to 100 nanometers.

FIG. 4 shows an electron diffraction pattern of selenium nanoparticlesof example 4 that show monoclinic crystal structure.

FIG. 5 a shows an electron diffraction pattern of selenium nanoparticlesof example 5 that show amorphous and monoclinic complex structure.

FIG. 5 b shows a scanning electron micrograph of selenium particles ofexample 5 having sizes between 10 nanometers to 200 nanometers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will bedescribed with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments(by way of example, and not of limitation). The present applicationdescribes several inventions, and none of the statements below should betaken as limiting the claims generally.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figuresillustrate the general manner of construction, and description anddetails of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in thedrawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, some areas orelements may be expanded to help improve understanding of embodiments ofthe invention.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in thedescription and the claims, if any, may be used for distinguishingbetween similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particularsequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the termsso used are interchangeable. Furthermore, the terms “comprise,”“include,” “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to covernon-exclusive inclusions, such that a process, method, article,apparatus, or composition that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elementsnot expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article,apparatus, or composition. The terms nano-particles, nanospheres,nano-Se are used interchangeably in this application, they all representthe elemental selenium particles formed in the reactions describedherein.

The applicant found that nanometer-scale particles of elemental seleniumcan be produced by direct reaction of a selenium source with a reduceror an oxidant source in the presence of selenium binding macromolecules.Moreover, the applicant found that the selenium binding macromoleculescan mediate the size of the obtained selenium particles by adsorbing tothe surface of the selenium particle through affinity between seleniumand nitrogen/oxygen of the macromolecles, which insures the seleniumparticles be well dispersed, not to aggregate, in aqueous solution andbe kept in amorphous and monoclinic status.

The present application discloses novel approaches to make biologicallyeffective elemental selenium nanoparticles.

In one embodiment, the sizes of the selenium nanoparticles range from 1nm to 300 nm.

In another embodiment, the selenium in the nanoparticles comprisesamorphous (colloidal) selenium.

In another embodiment, the selenium nanoparticles comprise monoclinicselenium, or the mixture of both amorphous and monoclinic selenium.

In another embodiment, the surfaces of selenium nanoparticles bindvarious selenium binding biological molecules, such as peptones, orpoly/oligopeptides, or nucleic acids, or poly/oligosaccharides, or amixture thereof.

The selenium binding molecules are selected from a group of peptonesfrom soybean, peptones from animal tissue, peptones from animal protein,peptones from casein, peptones from gelatin, peptones from lactalbumin,peptones from meat, mycological peptones, poly-Lysine hydrochloride,poly-arginine, poly(Arg, Pro, Thr)hydrochloride, poly(Arg,Trp)hydrochloride, poly-asparagine, poly-aspartic acid sodium salt,poly-aspartic acid sodium salt, poly-glutamate, deoxyribonucleic acidfrom calf thymus, deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt from herring,deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt from salmon, deoxyribonucleic acidsodium salt from calf thymus, deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt fromhuman placenta, ribonucleic acid from baker's yeast, ribonucleic acidfrom torula yeast, ribonucleic acid diethylaminoethanol salt from torulayeast, peptidoglycan, polysaccharide, and oligosaccharide and thecombinations thereof.

The disclosed innovations, in various embodiments, provide one or moreof at least the following advantages. However, not all of theseadvantages result from every one of the innovations disclosed, and thislist of advantages does not limit the various claimed inventions.

-   -   Better bioavailability, and less toxicity;    -   More biologically effective;    -   Can be used as a more effective nutritional supplement;    -   More cost effective to prepare.

Generally, a selenium source compound, for example, sodium selenite, iscombined in approximately four times molar ratio with a reducercompound, for example, citric acid. These materials are first dissolvedin an aqueous selenium binding macromolecule containing reaction medium.The selenium binding macromolecules in the reaction medium have theeffect of halting and stopping selenium particle's further aggregatingwhen the particles reach a size of 1-300 nanometer across. Seleniumbinding macromolecules include polymeric molecules that are either apolymer or an oligomer nucleotides, glycans, peptides or soluble proteinand nucleic acid molecules. These selenium binding macromoleculematerials may bind to the surface of the formed selenium particle,presenting a repulsive force between selenium particles and thuspreventing further aggregation of the particles. Absence of seleniumbinding macromolecule in the reaction medium the reaction will produceamorphous or monoclinic elemental selenium particles that will quicklyaggregate and become trigonal selenium micrometer sized particles thatare insoluble and biologically inert.

In this disclosure the red-ox agents can be either a reducing agent oran oxidative agent that can reduce or oxidize a selenium source intoelemental selenium.

Example reaction with reducing agent, such as cysteine,

Na₂SeO₃+4 Cysteine+H₂O→Se+2 H₂O+2 Cys+2 NaOH

With oxidative agent, such as H₂O₂

Na₂Se+H₂O₂→Se+2 NaOH.

The produced Se(0) will aggregate to form Se(0) nanoparticles, which arecomposed hundred of thousand Se atom and coated by peptone or otherchemicals.

In the preferred embodiment, the reaction medium is aqueous and containsat least one type of selenium binding macromolecule. The seleniumbinding macromolecule contains nitrogen of amine or nucleic acid basewhich complex with selenium atom of the produced selenium particle andbind to their surface, thereby preventing further particle growth.

In the preferred embodiment, the amount of the selenium bindingmacromolecule should be compatible with the reactive components andconstitute at least about 0.01% (by mass ratio) and preferably at leastabout 0.1%, and may be up to 80%, of the aqueous reaction medium.Mixtures of two or more selenium binding macromolecules may be used ifdesired.

In the preferred embodiment, the selenium binding macromolecules includepeptones, poly/oligopeptide, nucleic acid, poly/oligosaccharide. Theexamples can be peptones from soybean, peptones from animal tissue,peptones from animal protein, peptones from casein, peptones fromgelatin, peptones from lactalbumin, peptones from meat, mycologicalpeptones, poly-Lysine hydrochloride, poly-arginine, poly(Arg, Pro,Thr)hydrochloride, poly(Arg, Trp)hydrochloride, poly-asparagine,poly-aspartic acid sodium salt, poly-aspartic acid sodium salt,poly-glutamate, deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus, deoxyribonucleicacid sodium salt from herring, deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt fromsalmon, deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt from calf thymus,deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt from human placenta, ribonucleic acidfrom baker's yeast, ribonucleic acid from torula yeast, ribonucleic aciddiethylaminoethanol salt from torula yeast, peptidoglycan,polysaccharide, oligosaccharide.

In the preferred embodiment, the selenium source, such as a seleniumsalt, or selenium acid is reacted directly with a reducer agent, such aschemicals with thiols or hydroxyls, or an oxidant, such as O₂ or O₃ orH₂O₂.or radical oxygen species. Other representative selenium sourcesinclude H₂Se, H₂SeO₃, H₂SeO4, Na₂SeO₃, Na₂SeO₄, Na₂SSeO₃, H₂SSeO₃, orthe like as may be obvious to a person skilled in the art.

Other representative reducer include cysteine, GSH, ascorbic acid,thioalcohol, citric acid, L-glutathione, L-ascobic acid, citrate,thioacetamide, 2-thio-6-azauridine, thiobacillus broth, 2-thiobarbituricacid, 2-thiocytosine, 1-thioglycerol, thioglycolate broth, thioglycolicacid, 6-thioguanine, thiolactic acid, thiomalic acid, 2-thiopurine,thiourea, 4-thiouridine. or the like as may be obvious to a personskilled in the art. Mixtures of two or more selenium salts with two ormore reducer agents may be used.

In the preferred embodiment, one or more of each of these two groups ofmaterials are mixed in the aqueous reaction medium that containsselenium binding molecules at a temperature between 0-100° C. for aperiod of less than 24 hours. The preferred reaction temperature variesas to different reactants and different selenium binding molecules inthe reaction medium.

For example, the reaction of sodium selenite with L-cysteine in an about1:4 molar ratio in an aqueous reaction containing peptone from soybeancan be conducted at a temperature around 40° C. The reaction of sodiumselenide with H₂O₂ in about 1:1 molar ratio in a peptidoglycancontaining aqueous solution is preferred to be conducted at atemperature around 80° C. The reaction of sodium selenite with sodiumcitrate in about 1:6 molar ratio in a poly-Lysine hydrochloridecontaining aqueous solution is preferred to be conducted at atemperature around 80° C. The reaction of sodium selenite with sodiumcitrate in about 1:6 molar ratio in an arabinan containing aqueoussolution is preferred to be conducted at a temperature around 80° C. Thereaction of selenite acid with L-ascorbic acid in an about 1:4 molarratio in a ribonucleic acid from torula yeast containing aqueousreaction phase is preferred to be conducted at a temperature around 70°C.

The final product is the selenium binding molecule containing seleniumnanoparticles of a proper size of 1-300 nm across.

The reaction can be carried out in the aqueous reaction medium at a 1:4molar ratio of selenium salt/acid to thiols/hydroxyls. This ratio can bevaried such as from 1:32 to 8:1 without much effect on the quality ofthe final product. The concentration of reactants in the reaction mediumcan range from about 5 μmolar (basis selenium salt) to about 0.5 molar.Good results are obtained from 50 μmolar to 0.5 molar, although higherand lower concentrations can also be used. The reaction zone can beagitated by a stirrer, if desired.

The product of the reaction is a nanoparticle powder which can beisolated by simply removing the water reaction medium. This is carriedout by evaporation, filtration and the like obvious to a person skilledin the art.

EXAMPLES

This disclosure will be further described by the following Examples.These Examples are not to be construed as limiting the scope of thisinvention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Example 1

Sodium selenite (99.99%), L-cysteine (99.99%), peptone from soybean(80%) were purchased from Sigma, and stored in a dry box. Water wasdistilled prior to use. 50 g peptone from soybean was added to 1000 mlof 100 mM sodium selenite solution. The dissolved solution wascontinually added with L-cysteine to reach a final concentration of 400mM. The resulting mixture was kept or stirred at 25° C. for 10 hours.Then sodium ions and oxidized-L-cysteine was removed by dialysis, asolution consisted of amorphous selenium particles and peptone wasobtained. The resulted amorphous selenium particles were studied by TEM.As shown in FIG. 1, the nano-Se particles were deposited from solutiononto an amorphous carbon overlayer on a Cu grid and were imaged on aJEOL 2010 microscope operating at an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. InFIG. 1, the resulted nano-Se particles ranged from 22-70 nanometers,with an average size of 35 nanometer. In FIG. 2, the electrondiffraction patterns of these particles were with no spot patterns butamorphous rings indicating the resulted nano-Se particles were inamorphous form.

Example 2

In place of the L-cystiene of Example 1, ascorbic acid was used as thereducing agent. The preparation of Example 1 was repeated. Similaramorphous selenium nanoparticles as to Example 1 were obtained (data notshown).

Example 3

The preparation of Example 1 was repeated using sodium selenate in placeof sodium selenite and the reaction temperature was at 50° C. As shownin FIG. 3, the product was a mixture of amorphous and monoclinicselenium nanoparticles ranging 30-100 nanometers.

Example 4

The same reaction as Example 1, except arabinan hydrochloride, apolysaccharide, was used as the selenium binding molecule in thereaction medium, the reaction was kept at 70° C. for 8 hours. As shownin FIG. 4, electron diffraction patterns showed that the product waselemental selenium nanoparticles in monoclinic crystal structure.

Example 5

Example 1 was repeated using a Na₂SSeO₃ in place of sodium selenite, and1 mM H₂O₂ oxidant in place of reducer agent L-cysteine. In addition,deoxyribonucleic acid (single stranded from calf thymus or herring, MW˜50 kb) was used in the reaction medium, in place of peptone. As shownin FIG. 5 a and FIG. 5 b, the produced selenium nanoparticles were inamorphous and monoclinic complex structure.

Modifications and Variations

As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovativeconcepts described in the present application can be modified and variedover a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope ofpatented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplaryteachings given. It is intended to embrace all such alternatives,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scopeof the appended claims.

In this disclosure the red-ox agents can be either a reducing agent oran oxidative agent that can reduce or oxidize a selenium source intoelemental selenium.

Polypeptides, nucleic acid, and polysaccharide macromolecules used inthe claims are crude digestion extracts from various biological sources,including plants, animals, bacteria and fungi, and the standard formsare readily available from commercial source, such as Sigma, Fisher orother biotechnology companies. Other crude extracts, generally known toa person skilled in the art, for example, other commercially availablecrude protein or tissue digestion extracts that have been used forbacteria, fungus culture etc can also be used for the innovationdisclosed herein. A mixture of various lengths and molecule types havebeen used. The selenium binding polymeric molecules should also includetheir any forms of hybrid macromolecules and molecules withmodifications, for example, nucleo-proteins, or digestion products ofnucleo-proteins, peptidal-polysacchrides, polysacachride nucleic acid,and their modified molecules, such as methylated nucleic acid, andlipoproteins, etc.

Additional general background, which helps to show variations andimplementations, may be found in the following publications, all ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference:

-   Gao, Xueyun et al., (2000) Weisheng Yanjiu, 29(1), 57-58;-   Gao, Xueyun et al., (2000) Zhongguo Gonggong Weisheng, 16(5),    421-422;-   Gao, Xueyun et al., (2000) Zhongguo Gonggong Weisheng, 16(2),    109-110;-   Gao, Xueyun et al., (2002) Advanced Materials, 14(4), 290-293;-   Jiri Touzin et al., (2002) Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical    Communications, 67(5), 577-586;-   Hiroto Komatsu et al., (1999) Chem. Commun., 205-206;-   Garbisu, C. et al., (1995) Biofactors, 5, 29;-   Brady, J. M. et al., (1996) Mycological Research, 100, 955;-   Tomei, F. A. et al., (1995) Journal of Industrial Microbiology, 14,    329;-   Gharieb, M. M. et al., (1995) Journal of Industrial Microbiology,    14, 300;-   Nuttall, K. L., (1987) Med. Hypotheses, 24, 217;-   Ammerman, C. B. et al., (1975) Journal Dairy Science, 58, 1561;-   B. Gates et al, (2002) Advanced Functional Materials, 12, 221-   Oremland et al, (2004) Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 70,    52.

None of the description in the present application should be read asimplying that any particular element, step, or function is an essentialelement which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTEDSUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS.

Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of35 USC section 112 unless the exact words “means for” are followed by aparticiple.

The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, andNO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, orabandoned.

1. A method for forming elemental selenium nano-particles, comprisingthe steps of: reacting a reaction-medium soluble selenium source with areaction-medium soluble red-ox mixture in a reaction medium at atemperature between 0-100° C. for a period of time, wherein saidreaction medium contains an elemental selenium binding polymericmolecule that is selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids,oligo-nulceic acids, polysaccharides, and the combination thereof; andrecovering nano-particles of sizes between 1-300 nm.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said nucleic acid is selected from the group consistingof deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus, deoxyribonucleic acid fromherring, deoxyribonucleic acid sodium salt from salmon, deoxyribonucleicacid sodium salt from human placenta, ribonucleic acid from baker'syeast, ribonucleic acid from torula yeast, and ribonucleic aciddiethylaminoethanol salt from torula yeast.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the selenium source is selected from the group consisting ofselenium salts, H₂SeO₃, H₂SeO₄, Na₂SeO₃, Na₂Se, H₂Se, Na₂SeO₄, Na₂SSeO₃,and H₂SSeO₃.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the redox mixturecomprises a reduction agent selected from the group consisting ofchemicals with free thiols or hydroxyls.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the reduction agent is selected from the group consisting ofL-glutathione, L-cysteine, L-ascobic acid, citric acid, citrate,thioacetamide, 2-thio-6-azauridine, thiobacillus broth, 2-thiobarbituricacid, 2-thiocytosine, 1-thioglycerol, thioglycolate broth, thioglycolicacid, 6-thioguanine, thiolactic acid, thiomalic acid, 2-thiopurine,thiourea, and 4-thiouridine.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein saidred-ox mixture comprises L-ascorbic acid.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the reaction medium is an aqueous solution containing arabinan.8. The method of claim 1, wherein red-ox mixture is the group selectedfrom hydroxyl radicals, super-oxygen anion ion, single state oxygen,oxygen molecule (O₂ or O₃), and H₂O₂.
 9. An elemental seleniumnanoparticle, comprising: a plurality of elemental selenium atomsaggregated as a nano-particle in size between 1-300 nm; and aproportionate number of selenium binding polymeric molecules whereinsaid polymeric molecules are selected from the group consisting ofnucleic acids, oligo nucleic acids, polysaccharides, oligosacchrides andthe hybrid molecules thereof, and said polymeric molecules being atleast partly complexed with said selenium atoms forming said seleniumnanoparticle.
 10. The selenium nanoparticle of claim 9, wherein theselenium is aggregated in amorphous form.
 11. The selenium nanoparticleof claim 9, wherein the selenium is aggregated in monoclinic form. 12.The selenium nanoparticles of claim 9, wherein the selenium isaggregated in a complex form having both amorphous and monoclinicaggregations.